The poll which was carried out in the UK found that eight out of ten women feel that being born with good genes can have a major impact in keeping up youthful skin appearance.
Until the age of 45, 75% of survey respondents with good and youthful skin said they thought they looked at least five years younger, and one in 10 women felt 10 years younger.
Conducted by Lancôme Advanced Genefique, the study found 2,000 women aged between 30 and 60 across the country to note their opinion of beauty, skin care and age.
Anti-ageing: booming business
The anti-ageing category survived the recession largely unscathed, driven by the now aging baby boomer generation to reach estimated global sales of $122.3 billion in 2013, according to Transparency Market Research.
The new Lancôme study confirms the huge potential of the category, with 50% of the women stating they have inhibitions about their ageing, and are bothered about how old they look.
Almost 37% of respondents reported these anxieties kicked in on turning 30; but 10% were even anxious about appearing old when still in their 20's.
Brands have been looking to court the concerns: Nivea, for example, recently launched interactive booths to accompany the UK launch of its new Cellular Anti-Age skin care range.
Dividing the genders
While female consumers are eager for anti-ageing claims, it’s a different story for brands trying to plug products to men.
A recent study by research firm Affinnova found that British men of all ages were turned off by any and all mentions of ‘anti-ageing,’ ‘age reversing’ and ‘rejuvenating.’ This was especially important for product name.
When it comes to what they want the product to do for them, British men again avoided age related concerns such as ‘removing wrinkles’ and widely opted for benefits that protected their skin from the sun.